Written by

Zach Travis

Detroit Free Press Special Writer

Zach Travis is a manager of the Wolverines blog Maize n Brew. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers. Read his column every week here and contact him anytime at zwtravis@gmail.com.

Michiganís defensive revival under coordinator Greg Mattison has been a complete turnaround by nearly the same moribund unit that was recruited and played under Greg Robinson at the tail end of the Rich Rodriguez experiment. It is striking how far and how fast U-Mís defense has come the last two years.

However, the strong run defense and capable pass defense has been lacking something that could push the unit over the top: A dangerous pass rush threat.

The Wolverines havenít been bad at getting to the quarterback. In 2011, Michigan was fourth in the Big Ten in sacks thanks to a pressure-by-committee approach that saw six players register between three and six sacks that season. However, the spread-out nature of Michiganís pass rush shows the real issue confronting the Wolverines: The team hasnít had a devastating pass rushing defensive end since Brandon Graham.

Things look to get more difficult as the Wolverines will be without Sam linebacker Jake Ryan for most, if not all, of the 2013 season. Ryan had three, then five sacks his last two years and looked like Michiganís best bet at an explosive presence on the edge. Without him, Michigan has just two players with more than two career sacks.

One of those players, Frank Clark, is the early leader to be Michiganís breakout presence. He played sparingly as a freshman, but wowed fans in the Sugar Bowl with a couple athletic plays that seemed to signal big things for his sophomore year. That never developed due to a run-in with the law that kept him from being able to concentrate on his development that off-season, and he put together an inconsistent campaign in 2012.

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However, with those concerns in the past, Clark has taken another step forward. His time in the weight room has paid off as he now weighs a solid 277 pounds Ė up 17 from his listed weight last season Ė which should help him hold up against the run as an every-down pass rusher. That kind of size and strength combined with his otherworldly athleticism could mean big things for U-M this fall.

If Clark isnít the answer at weakside defensive end, it will be either sophomore Mario Ojemudia or freshman Taco Charlton. Ojemudia saw time on the field as a defensive end last year despite weighing a linebacker-ish 223 pounds. He has added over 20 since then and now comes in as a more respectable 244. That increased weight will help and should allow him to better deal with opposing offensive linemen once they get their hands on him.

Charltonís problem isnít weight, as he is already 265 pounds. It is experience. He is a true freshman who enrolled early. While he came in for some praise in the spring game, he also looked raw at times and will likely be unable to play as an every-down end. However, his athleticism could make him a prime candidate for Michiganís third-down specialist.

If the rush isnít coming from the weakside defensive end, it may yet still from the Sam linebacker position. Brennan Beyer, a WDE last season, is set to move temporarily over to Sam to provide depth. He isnít much of an explosive option, tallying just .5 TFLs and no sacks in his two years on campus already.

Still, Beyer might not have to provide that pressure as Cam Gordon could finally have the breakout season we have been waiting for. You may remember him from such films as ďThe Unseen Wide ReceiverĒ and ďHelp! Iím Not a SafetyĒ and, while his career thus far has been a mix of disappointment and wasted potential, it seems that the one positive of Ryanís injury is that Gordon will finally be given the chance to seize the starting role he has coveted since losing it as a safety two years ago.

Gordon could be a revelation at the position. While his athleticism was enough to get him a look at safety when there was little else, his lack of top end speed and safety instincts kept him from doing anything at the position. Neither of those will be required at Sam, a slashing, attacking position on the defense that does as much pass rushing as run support and underneath coverage.

Gordonís myriad of roles on this team could ultimately help him lock down the job, and his athletic talents could see him excel as a pass rush specialist on regular downs. He flashed some potential during the spring game, but filling in for Ryan is a big task and Gordon will have his work cut out for him this off-season if he wants to become a solid pass rush option for the Wolverines.

With the linebacking corp and interior defensive line taking shape, Michiganís run defense should be as solid as it ever was. Add in the improvement of a young secondary and the Wolverines are just a consistent pass rush from being a complete defense. To get there, Michigan will need at least one of its players to take a significant step toward being the kind of devastating pass rusher capable of double-digit sack totals on his own.